what the fuck ever

[lodessa]

So I sort of tried to come out as a Jew today during our "holiday" potluck (that I tried to make non denominational and people brought a tree and other Christmas related stuff to) and people acted like they didn't notice what I was saying. Actually I've been trying to come out as a Jew or over a week and I feel like people are blocking it out.

So happy last 15 minutes of Hanukkah everybody. It's great to have one's heritage ignored.

Comments

[hobviously.livejournal.com]

2. IT IS A REQUIREMENT THAT ALL COMPANIES CONDUCT AN ANNUAL "HOLIDAY PARTY" EACH YEAR. THIS HAD BEEN CALLED A "XMAS PARTY" UNTIL 1972, WHEN THE SUPREME COURT RULED IT TO BE A DISCRIMINATORY NAME. THE TERM "HOLIDAY PARTY" WAS ENACTED SO THAT NATIVE AMERICANS, ASIANS, AND MUSLIMS(40) WILL ALL FEEL EQUALLY UN-AMERICAN.
(40) When Ramadan is not in December.


- If Christmas were a Jewish holiday. (http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ridge/6661/other/xmas.html)

[lodessa.livejournal.com]

That is a thing of GREAT BEAUTY (and hilarity)

[novin-ha.livejournal.com]

It's a fucking awful day all around.

Have some loving from the other side of the pond.

[lodessa.livejournal.com]

Indeed *hugs* Thank you.

[anna-bo-banna.livejournal.com]

that really sucks. though i don't actually consider christmas a religious holiday. i mean, i know "christ" is right in the name there, but just like pretty much all other catholic/christian rites and celebrations it's become pretty bastardized and people who don't even believe in god, let alone jesus christ, celebrate christmas every year. i think jewish people are lucky that you guys get a holiday that is actually special to you.

[lodessa.livejournal.com]

Hanukkah is actually a fairly minor Jewish holiday that's only gained prominence to attempt to keep the little Jew kids from feeling left out. Also, I actually celebrate Christmas (my dad's side of the family isn't Jewish) and don't mind Christmas things like a lot of Jews I know, but the weird refusal to acknowledge was I was saying was weird and insulting.

[hamsterwoman]

That is rather weird... (sucky, of course, but also weird, because... in California? in the 21st century? you'd expect people to be more aware of other religions and holidays and stuff). For quite a few years, I was the only Jew in my group in our Santa Clara location, and while some people remembered this from year to year and others would ask me about Christmas plans and then quickly switch over to asking whether we give our children eight gifts or what when I would say that we don't celebrate Christmas but Hanukkah, I've certainly never had the experience of having to apply undue effort to "come out" as a Jew or having that ignored. What strange people your coworkers are...

Anyway, happy end of Hanukkah, and hope you're feeling better than this morning!

[lodessa.livejournal.com]

Yeah. This office is really weird. I actually avoided mentioning my Judaism earlier in my time there because I felt like it would make me seem more "other", which I already am due to my job classification and whiteness. Because of the particulars of the main study at the research group a large section of my coworkers are Hispanic (speaking Spanish is required for many of the jobs) and I think that's part of the weirdness. But seriously, last week I was trying to get out of there a little early to get home before sundown for the first night of hanukkah and told my boss (white female PhD) I was trying to beat the sunset (without elaborating)... she didn't pick up on it. Today I literally mentioned a Hanukkah present I'd received from my boyfriend and everyone (except one post-doc who I suspect might be Jewish herself because she seemed annoyed about the Dia De Los Muertes alter that some of the project staff put up) acted like I hadn't said it. Additionally, while talking with my boss and one of the other post-docs about the Santa Claus myth I mentioned Passover and how my parents used to drink the cup of wine set out for Elijah while we were looking for the aficomen so we'd think he had come... similarly ignored.

Happy end of Hanukkah to you too. I am still feeling crappy but hoping to feel better tomorrow when I have this damned Berkeley application off my plate.

[hamsterwoman]

a large section of my coworkers are Hispanic (speaking Spanish is required for many of the jobs) and I think that's part of the weirdness.

Still weird, but that does make sense, especially if they're more devout than the average local... My mother is the manager of a QA department in a small manufacturing company, and I think pretty much all of her QA inspectors are Hispanic women. They get along fabulously and the employees love her... but a couple of times she's had one or another of the gals tell her something like, "I know you're Jewish and/or don't believe in God, but I pray for you every night, that you will start believing in Jesus and can go to Heaven." They obviously mean well -- they just really, truly believe that the only way to get into Heaven is to believe in Jesus and, as they really like my mother, they want her to get into Heaven. Fortunately my mother is totally unflappable and the most un-offend-able person ever, so I think she just responded with some polited thanks and then laughed about it -- but it was definitely rather weird.

Your Passover story/tradition is cute... While we "celebrated" Passover back in the Old Country, it was more just eating matzos and no seder to kick it off, beyond a festive family dinner as for everything. Our seders are still rather perfunctory even now, but do occasionally feature the Elijah cup, and there is generally much merriment when late guests are arriving after the cup's been poured and are greeted as "Elijah" through the door. (It's funnier in Russian... maybe. After a bit of wine -- almost doubtlessly ;)

Hope you got the UCB application off in time and good shape and can now relax a bit!

[lodessa.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my white PhD having boss who studies diverse segments of the population should know better though.

Our Passovers are sort of a horrendous thing. This year I am doing my own and not dealing with the family drama.

I did... except I didn't realize I had to mail my writing sample separately until late at night so it is postmarked the 13th instead of the 12th (fingers crossed they still accept my application)

[silver-fic.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry *hugs* People suck sometimes. Hope the rest of your Hannukah went well

[lodessa.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[hella-em.livejournal.com]

there are zero jews in my office, i'm the closest thing to one, but we still have a menorah in the office, and a "chrismakkah trebush". your co-workers are all bastards in need of a shin kick - perhaps you should bring them all hanukkah cards. but give them as you're all leaving for christmas weekend or something - they wanna ignore you, so pretend like there's no christmas. or there's always the path of finding the perfect card that says not "heppy christma" but "happy day of capitalistic overspending where we forget the true meaning of yet another holiday".

and don't forget to paint a huge star on your cheek for the next 2 weeks!

want me to come and beat them up?! or take you to a belated hanukkah lunch? i'll learn yiddish and, ironically, ham it up.!

[lodessa.livejournal.com]

Well it's a little late for hanukkah cards since it's over but I am actually pretty bitter about the thing and it has sort of cemented my decision to get the fuck out of this job asap.

I would love a belated hanukkah lunch!

[(Anonymous)]

obviously they don't know it over though. and if it's like preceeded by a "well, i was trying to give you guys these weeks ago, but..." i dunno.

let's do it! once i figure out when i'll be in davis, i'll give you a call.

[qt-ninja.livejournal.com]

sorry...but mozel mozel good things *hugs*

[qt-ninja.livejournal.com]

Also, the fact that you had to "come out" is just weird. Cali is weird.

[lodessa.livejournal.com]

It's not a Cali thing. It's a "this office" thing.

[hella-em.livejournal.com]

Steph just sent me this awesome music video (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3r4gx_merry-hanukkah-a-jewish-christmas-r_fun)...kinda reminds me of that hell3 when nora dressed up as ghetto jew.

[lodessa.livejournal.com]

Man, I've been sort of weirdly nostalgic about that era the last few weeks.

[hella-em.livejournal.com]

oops, my last comment was annon - ooooo i'm stalking you.

yeah, i have been too. but i think it's 'cause my life was so simple/easy at the time, except for the crazy part. perhaps just want to go back to that, or maybe i'd like to go back to make it more of a challenge so that i may already be in law-msw-polisci school and not just now finishing with my ba.

hmmmm.

[lodessa.livejournal.com]

I figured that was you (crazy stalker)

I sort of miss the innoccence. I can't lose myself in anything like I did with that anymore and I miss losing myself in loving something.. despite the retarded.

[hella-em.livejournal.com]

agreed.

[lodessa.livejournal.com]

Like I'm happier in general but less exciting